Wesson and Garcetti declined to comment on Terrell's assertions. But Loyola Law School professor Justin Levitt, who has a website devoted to the redistricting process, said federal law allows for race to be part of the deliberations when new political maps are made. In a courtroom, the question would come down to whether race was discussed too much, Levitt said.

During redistricting "you can consider community interests, economic interests, certain industrial patterns, or even sports fandom," Levitt said. "You can consider lots of different things and also race, as long as race is one element thrown into the mix. You only get in trouble when race is the predominant factor."